Courtesy of Mark P. Witton/University of Portsmouth

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Did T. rex Have Lips?

When you think of Tyrannosaurus rex, you probably picture its razor-sharp teeth. In books and movies, the ferocious dinosaur’s long chompers are often shown poking out of its mouth even when it’s shut. 

But according to a recent study, that image may be wrong. A team of paleontologists (scientists who study ancient life-forms) think T. rex probably had thin, scaly lips that covered its teeth. 

No one knows exactly what the mouths of these prehistoric predators looked like. Researchers have found fossils of T. rex’s bones and teeth, but the skin rotted away long ago. For the study, scientists compared a tooth of a close relative of T. rex with teeth from modern-day crocodiles. They chose crocs because the reptiles’ teeth are visible when their jaws are closed. 

The scientists found that crocodile teeth are often worn down because the animals don’t have lips for protection. The experts saw less damage on the dino tooth. They concluded that T. rex had lips that covered its teeth, like today’s Komodo dragons and other giant lizards do.

Thomas Cullen was one of the authors of the study. He says the evidence is strong, but we won’t know for sure until someone finds the remains of a dino with its skin preserved. “It is not impossible,” he told The New York Times. “It just hasn’t happened yet.”

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